NFL Hall of Famer presents Windsor's Peck with Award of Excellence

Oct. 24, 2013

NFL Hall of Famer Floyd Little, left, presents Windsor football player Zach Peck with a plaque for being one of 10 finalists nationally for the U.S. Army and Pro Football Hall of Fame Award of Excellence. / Don Reichert/For The Beacon

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Zach Peck file

Year: Senior Sports: Football, basketball Notable: Has been accepted into the Naval Academy on a football scholarship... Works with Project Healing Waters, a program that helps the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military personnel and disabled veterans through fly-fishing... Has 63 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and nine sacks for 6-2 Windsor.

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The Windsor High School gymnasium was packed Thursday with NFL Hall of Famer Floyd Little in the house.

But it wasn’t Little that everyone was there to see. It was Windsor senior Zach Peck. The football and basketball player was being presented with a plaque for being one of 10 finalists nationally for the U.S. Army and Pro Football Hall of Fame Award of Excellence.

Peck and Little entered the gym to the band playing and the student body cheering before each made a short speech.

“It felt like it was a red carpet. It was pretty cool to have everyone there for me,” Peck said after the ceremony. “It feels really nice and it’s an honor to receive this award. I’m kind of at a loss of words of what to say. I’m thankful for everyone who is around me that’s made this possible.”

Little was there as the Hall of Fame representative. The 71-year-old played his entire pro career with the Denver Broncos and the running back was the first player inducted into the Broncos Ring of Fame.

“It was awesome,” Peck said of having Little present him the award. “He’s such a good guy and he inspires me to possibly be there one day.”

As one of the 10 finalists, Peck will travel to the 2014 U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio on Jan. 3. The winner will be announced at halftime of the game. Peck’s Windsor teammate Trenton Noller has been nominated to play in the game.

If Noller has anything to say about it, Peck will win the award.

“He’s the kind of leader that we need in our community and our country,” Little said. “When I look at guys like Zachary Peck, I see a lot of hope for our future.”

Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle at twitter.com/Kevin_Lytle and at facebook.com/KevinSLytle.